CH35

After the test, the representatives from various wizard organizations led their respective apprentices away.

Professor Nina only had Lilian as her apprentice. She took Lilian by the hand and headed down the eastern path.

Lilian glanced back at Helag, then whispered something to Professor Nina, who nodded. Lilian then walked over to Helag.

"What's up?" Helag asked.

Lilian smiled softly and hugged him.

"Remember to write to me. Don't forget we're allies. We need to help each other in times of trouble," Lilian whispered, her head resting on Helag's chest.

"I know," Helag replied, feeling a warmth in his heart.

"Goodbye," Lilian waved, following Professor Nina and gradually disappearing into the white fog.

"This way," Larry said, leaning against the flowerbed. After Helag finished his goodbyes, they headed down the northern stone path.

Helag looked around and realized they were the only ones left. Dino had left without him noticing.

Seeing Larry's figure about to disappear into the fog, Helag quickened his pace to catch up.

The stone path was similar to the previous one, surrounded by thick fog that seemed never to dissipate.

Larry walked silently ahead, and Helag observed his surroundings without speaking.

From a nearby tree, a rustling sound came. Helag looked up and saw three crows perched on a branch, tilting their heads in unison to look at him.

"Newcomer! It's a newcomer!" one crow spoke.

"Should we catch a field mouse as a gift?" another crow asked.

"Humans don't eat field mice!" a crow screeched. "Cabbage worms are their favorite!"

"You're wrong! It's field mice!"

"It's cabbage worms!"

***

The three crows began to argue, eventually pecking at each other in anger, scattering black feathers everywhere.

As Helag walked a few steps further, the sound of the crows' quarrel faded, and the white fog seemed to dull his senses.

Twenty minutes later, Helag and Larry reached the end of the stone path.

There was no more path ahead, only a dense forest with ground covered in fallen leaves. In the middle was a dented metal bucket.

Larry squatted by the bucket and pressed a finger on its edge. He turned to Helag and said, "Come here, put your hand on it."

Unsure of what Larry intended, Helag obediently squatted and pressed his finger on the bucket's edge.

The bucket was filled with leaves soaking in murky rainwater, with mosquito larvae-like creatures swimming inside.

Seeing Helag ready, Larry chanted a spell: "Menthos!"

Helag felt a strong suction from the bucket, pulling his finger tightly against its edge.

Simultaneously, a powerful force pushed from behind, propelling him forward through his navel.

The surroundings began to spin rapidly, making Helag dizzy and forcing him to close his eyes.

Helag couldn't tell how long this state lasted. When he instinctively opened his eyes, he found himself in a plaza.

At the plaza's center stood a massive statue of a curly-haired man holding a book in his left hand and flipping its pages with his right, gazing forward.

"That's Carlos Torran, the founder of Moonlight Woodland. He established it three thousand years ago and was a great wizard," Larry said, looking at the statue with respect.

He continued, "This place is called Carlos Plaza."

To the south of Carlos Plaza was a forest shrouded in white fog. To the north was a long stone bridge.

The stone bridge was about 700 meters long, spanning a bottomless black gorge. Statues of various forms, including gargoyles and knights with swords and shields, lined the bridge's railings every ten meters.

Larry walked and said, "I'll take you to register first."

Helag walked on the stone bridge, with a constant wind blowing from the gorge below.

[High-energy magic source detected!]

[High-energy magic source detected!]

Deep Blue continuously alerted Helag, who noticed that each statue on the bridge was a high-energy magic source.

Helag keenly sensed that the statues "watched" him as he passed.

"This is one of Moonlight Woodland's defenses. Each statue here has considerable power," Larry explained without turning back.

On the other side of the bridge was a complex of Gothic-style buildings with classic spires.

Larry led Helag to a five-story building and said, "This is the administration hall. Personnel registration, task acquisition, and publication are all handled here. You'll be coming here often."

Helag nodded, noting the place.

As they entered the administration hall, they were greeted by soft yellow lighting.

Luxurious crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, emitting gentle yellow light.

The hall was spacious, with many service windows around the perimeter. People queued at the windows, handling various affairs, while busy wizards inside signed documents and stamped papers.

Helag and Larry's arrival went unnoticed. They headed straight to a window labeled "Personnel Affairs."

Behind the window was a plump middle-aged woman, identified by her nameplate as Jennifer.

She looked up and asked, "What can I do for you?"

"New member," Larry replied.

Jennifer glanced at Helag and asked, "Do you have a token?"

"Yes," Helag said, placing his ring on the counter.

Jennifer picked up the ring, examined it briefly, then swallowed it whole.

She closed her eyes and said, "Hmm, good. No problem."

She then spat the ring out and placed it back on the counter for Helag to take.

Helag grimaced at the saliva-covered ring but reluctantly took it back.

He had sensed that Jennifer was also an official wizard and didn't want to offend her.

After checking the ring, Jennifer pushed her chair back with a heavy sound, opened a drawer, and rummaged through it.

After a while, she pulled out a yellowed form from a pile of crumpled papers.

"Fill this out."

Larry handed the form to Helag, who saw it was titled "Moonlight Woodland New Member Registration Form."

Larry reminded him, "Don't fill it out carelessly. You can leave it blank, but don't lie. This form is enchanted."

With that warning, Helag noticed a faint magical flow in the paper, barely detectable unless specifically looked for.

A feather pen and ink bottle were by the window. Helag took them and began carefully filling out his information.

The form was detailed, asking for age, gender, birthplace, meditation practice, duration of practice… Helag even saw a section asking, "Are you a virgin?"

TL/n - 

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